2 insurers offer free dental to those on Medicaid

Two health insurers are investing nearly $1 million to provide dental care for adults on Medicaid — 10 years after oral health was excluded as a state-covered benefit.

AlohaCare and Ohana Health Plan will cover basic adult dental care for members in Medicaid, the government health insurance program for about 364,000 low-income residents in Hawaii. The basic care includes an annual exam and cleaning every six months, simple tooth extraction or filling, and topical fluoride.

Scott Sivik, state president Ohana Health Plan, said at a news conference Monday, “It’s been 10 years since about 219,ooo adult Medicaid members in Hawaii have been able to get basic dental care without having to pay for it. A routine health benefit is something many of us take for granted.”

Existing members and those who sign up for either health plan this month will get basic dental care at no cost starting Jan. 1. AlohaCare covers 34,000 adult members, while Ohana has 22,000. Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare also cover Medicaid beneficiaries but do not provide dental care..

The state Medicaid program eliminated oral health care a decade ago due to budget restrictions. In recent years, there has been a push to restore those benefits.

Laura Esslinger, CEO of AlohaCare, said, “Dental care is an important part of overall health. It’s important to continue to advocate for access to dental care.”

Sheila Beckham, CEO of the Waikiki Health Center, which provides medical and dental services to about 5,000 Medicaid patients a year, said about 100 to 150 patients seek dental services at the clinic every week.

“We have too many patients come in and have a crack in their tooth or a tiny cavity that blossoms and becomes pervasive in terms of decay and periodontal disease. It’s a beginning to have somebody recognize how important dental care is to your entire body and to your entire overall health and mental well-being,” she said. “Many of our patients are homeless, many have HIV. For us it’s really critical that we can provide this benefit.”

Bacteria in the mouth can lead to heart disease, stroke and other ailments, she said, particularly for people with weakened immune systems from cancer and HIV.

Dr. Gavin Uchida, former dental director for the state Health Department, said,”This is kind of a big deal. This change is … going to improve the oral health of many adults in Hawaii. This may not be a full comprehensive set of benefits.

“But this is going to get adults in the door and in the dental chair which is a huge change from the status quo. The public is going to respond very well because they’re going to have less pain and more health.”

The program will run at least through Jan. 1, 2020, when health insurance contracts for the state’s Medicaid program go up for bid.